New Harlem River Drive Ramp Opens, Easing Neighborhood Traffic

EAST HARLEM, NY — State officials on Monday hailed the opening of a long-awaited ramp connecting the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge to the northbound lanes of the Harlem River Drive, eliminating the need for drivers to take a detour through East Harlem streets.

The detour had been in place for more than 62 years, since that segment of the Harlem River Drive opened in 1958. The new ramp will divert an estimated 17,000 cars each day from East Harlem, where northbound drivers previously had to exit the bridge near East 125th Street and drive along Second Avenue before merging onto an on-ramp next to a playground.

"It is almost unbelievable that a bridge of this magnitude, one of the busiest crossings in the country, wasn't already connected to a major highway like Harlem River Drive," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who attended a ribbon-cutting on the ramp Monday.

The new ramp took 14 months to build and opened ahead of schedule, having been given a completion date of 2021 when it was first announced in February. It rises above First Avenue, the Harlem River Drive and the Willis Avenue Bridge.

Officials are touting the likely public health benefits of the new ramp, which they say will reduce more than 2,500 tons of carbon emissions per year in East Harlem, helping reduce the neighborhood's childhood asthma rate, which is among the highest in the city.

"We know there are serious disparities in exposure in New York City that disproportionately affect low-income and minority children. That's why steps like these to reduce air pollution are so important," Leonardo Trasande, director of environmental pediatrics at NYU Langone Health, said in a statement.

Safe streets advocates also hailed the plan when it was announced earlier this year. Last year, 25-year-old Matt Travis, an aspiring pro wrestler, was killed while biking near the old route that drivers had to take to connect from the RFK Bridge to the Harlem River Drive. A truck driver was making an illegal turn when he hit Travis, police said.

"This new bypass will help to create a safer environment for pedestrians and people on bikes," Transportation Alternatives spokesman Joe Cutrufo said in a statement in February.

Drivers who regularly take the route from the RFK Bridge to the Harlem River Drive are expected to save nine hours of travel time per year, with about three minutes being cut from each trip, MTA officials said.

The ramp was built through a partnership between the MTA and the New York City Department of Transportation. Funding for the $48 million project was allocated as part of the MTA Bridges & Tunnels 2015-2019 capital plan. A design-build contract for the work was awarded to Judlau Contracting.

Brendan Krisel contributed to this report.

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